Pressure relief valve having a bursting disk for a beverage dispenser

ABSTRACT

A valve assembly for filling a bag with a beverage under pressure has a valve body having a first passageway extending therethrough and a first valve seated in the first passageway for controlling the flow of beverage through the first passageway into and out of the bag. A pressure relief passageway extends through the valve body from inside the bag to within the container. A bursting disk is seated with the valve body normally closing the pressure relief passageway and is adapted to rupture permitting fluid to escape from the bag through the pressure relief passageway and into the container surrounding the bag when the pressure in the bag exceeds a predetermined pressure value.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an alcohol beverage container having abag within the container and a bursting disk for relieving high pressureconditions between the bag and the container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is known to contain alcohol, such as wine in bags contained in acardboard type container. Further, it is known to use a bag insertedinto a keg for storing beer in the bag. In the case of a beer keg,pressure is applied to the bag to dispense the beer from the bag and outof the keg through a valve body assembly. Further, the bag is insertedinto the keg container prior to the beer being filled into the bagthrough the valve body assembly.

During the step of filing the bag with beer, the beer is filled into thebag under pressure. As the bag expands, air contained within thecontainer between the container wall and the bag escapes out throughanother valved opening in the container. Once the bag is filled withbeer, the valves are closed. In some instances, if the bag has beenoverfilled, the carbonated beverage may continue to expand potentiallycreating a beer bomb. Accordingly, there is a need to provide a safetyfeature compensating for potential over pressurization of the bag.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a container adapted for a beverageunder pressure, and preferably, an alcohol beverage. The container has avalve assembly extending therethrough secured with a bag to be filledwith the alcohol beverage under pressure through the valve assembly. Apressure relief passageway extends through the valve assembly and abursting disk normally closes the passageway. The bursting disk isadapted to rupture when the pressure in the bag exceeds a predeterminedpressure value. The use of the bursting disk provides the advantage thatshould the pressure within the bag exceed a predetermined value, thenthe fluid contained within the bag, be it the alcohol beverage orgasses, is allowed to escape into the container.

In accordance with an aspect of the present invention there is provideda valve assembly adapted for filling a bag with a beverage underpressure where the bag is contained in a container and secured with thevalve assembly. The valve assembly comprises a valve body adapted to besecured with the container. The valve body has a first passagewayextending through the valve body. A first valve is seated in the firstpassageway for controlling the flow of beverage through the firstpassageway into and out of the bag. A pressure relief passageway extendsthrough the valve body from inside the bag to within the container. Abursting disk is seated with the valve body normally closing thepressure relief passageway and is adapted to rupture permitting fluid toescape from the bag through the pressure relief passageway and into thecontainer surrounding the bag when the pressure in the bag exceeds apredetermined pressure value.

In one embodiment, the valve body has a recessed disk shaped seatsurrounding an opening of the pressure relief passageway and thebursting disk is seated in the recessed disk shaped seat.

In one embodiment, the bursting disk comprises a ring of double sidedself adhesive material affixed on a first side to the recessed diskshaped seat. The busting disk has at least one membrane affixed to asecond side of the ring so as to extend across the opening of thepressure relief passageway. The membrane bursts when the pressure in thebag exceeds the predetermined pressure value.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the nature and objects of the presentinvention reference may be had to the accompanying diagrammatic drawingsin which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a home beer dispensing apparatus inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the home beer dispensing apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the keg;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged exploded view of the valve assembly shown in FIG.3; and,

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the bursting ring mounted inwith the valve assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 there is shown a home beer dispensingapparatus, appliance or unit 10. The dispensing apparatus 10 isprimarily intended for use in domestic kitchens but may also be used inutility rooms, garages, domestic bars, caravans etc. While the preferredembodiment relates to dispensing beer, alternatively carbonatedsolutions or other alcohol beverages may be dispensed by apparatus 10.

The home beer dispensing apparatus 10 has a front wall 12 and adispensing tap 14 protruding forward of the front wall 12. A drip tray16 also protrudes forward of the front wall 12 and is adapted to supportan open glass container 18 below the dispensing tap 14. The home beerdispensing apparatus 10 further has a base 21 adapted to rest on acounter top in a kitchen. The front wall 12 is formed as an extension oftwo pivoting side walls 20 which may be moved between closed and openpositions to allow the container or keg 22 (see FIG. 2 in broken lines)to be inserted into the housing of the home beer dispensing apparatus10. The housing of the home beer dispensing apparatus 10 furtherincludes a top wall 24 and a rear wall 26. The rear wall 26 has a grill30 that permits for air circulation within the home beer dispensingapparatus 10. An electrical cord 32 extends through the rear wall 26 ofthe apparatus 10 to provide a connection into a main electrical supplyto supply electrical power to the electrical components housed withinthe dispensing apparatus 10. Alternatively, a 12 Volt DC supply inputmay be used.

The dispensing apparatus 10 has a cooling system 23 located behind andbelow keg 22 that is adapted to cool the keg 22 of beer when placed indispensing apparatus 10. The dispensing apparatus 10 also dispenses thebeer by providing a pressurized air supply (not shown).

Referring to FIG. 3, beer keg 22 has a general cylindrical shape withside walls 40 and a top wall or top portion 42 and a bottom wall orbottom portion 44. Both top wall 42 and bottom wall 44 are curvedoutwardly from the central portion of the keg 22 and are provided with araised annular collar 46. The collars 46 provide additional support forthe keg 22.

Mounted within the keg walls 40, 42 and 44 is a plastic bag 50 forcontaining an alcohol beverage which in the preferred embodiment is beer52.

As shown in FIG. 3, the keg is filled with beer 52 within the bag 50 andas a result the bag 50 lines the inside walls of the keg 22. As the beer52 is dispensed from the keg 22, an air pressure is established betweenthe walls of the bag 50 and the inside surfaces of walls 40, 42 and 44of the keg so as to provide pressure to the bag 50 allowing the beer 52to be dispensed from the keg 22. The air pressure space is shown at 55.

The top portion 42 and collar 46 of the keg 22 has a keg dispensingdevice or valve assembly 60 extending through the top collar 46. The kegdispensing device 60 is connected to the tap 14 of the beer dispensingapparatus 10 by a tube or tap connection (not shown) extending from thekeg dispensing device 60 at its top end 62.

The valve assembly 60 is connected with a dip tube 66 that extends intothe keg 22 within bag 50 so as to provide a remote open end 64 adjacentthe bottom portion of the keg for drawing beer 52 from the bottomportion of the keg 22. Beer 52 is drawn through open end 64, up hollowtube 66 out through the valve assembly 60 to the tap 14 (FIG. 1). Forfilling, the beer is inserted through valve assembly 60 down the tube 66and out end 64 into bag 50. The dual direction flow of beer 52 into andout through valve assembly 60 is illustrated by arrows 67 in FIG. 3.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the valve assembly 60 is shown in more detail.The valve assembly 60 is adapted to fit into raised collar aperture 46of keg 22. The valve assembly 60 has a valve body 70 that is securedwithin top collar 46 by bung 72. The valve body 70 has an annular groove72 and flange 74 that is adapted to extend above the keg 22 for matingwith a tap dispensing adapter (not shown) connected to tap 14.

The valve body 70 has a first passageway 76, a second passageway 78, anda third passageway 80 spaced apart from each other and extending throughthe valve body 70. The first passageway 76 is centrally disposed orlocated within the valve body 70 and the second and third passageways78, and 80 are spaced radially of the first central passageway 76.

The valve assembly includes a first valve 82, a second valve 84 and athird valve 86. The first valve 84 is seated in the first passageway 76for controlling the flow of the beverage or beer through the firstpassageway 76 into and out of the bag 50.

The second valve 86 is seated in the second passageway 78 forcontrolling the flow of gas such as carbon dioxide through the secondpassageway 78 into and out of the bag 50.

The third valve 86 is seated in the third passageway 80 and controls theflow of gas through the third passageway 52 into and out of the keg 22exterior to the bag 50.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the valve body 70 has a pressure reliefpassageway 90 that extends through the valve body from inside the bag 50to within the keg 22. This pressure relief passageway 90 is a separatepassageway from the third passageway 78 and has been shown in dottedlines in FIG. 4.

The valve body 60 has a recessed disk shaped seat 92 surrounding anopening 94 (FIG. 5) of the pressure relief passageway 90.

Referring to FIG. 5, a bursting disk 96 is seated is seated in therecessed disk shaped seat 92 normally closing a pressure reliefpassageway. The bursting disk 96 comprises a ring of double sided selfadhesive material 98 affixed on a first side 100 to the recessed diskshaped seat 92. The disk 96 further has at least one membrane 102affixed to a second side 104 of the ring 98 so as to extend across theopening 94 of the pressure relief passageway 90. The membrane 102preferably comprises a layer of polyvinylchloride plastic coated withaluminum foil. The membrane 102 bursts or ruptures when the pressure inthe bag 50 exceeds the predetermined pressure value which is preferably7 bar±10%. Upon rupture of the membrane 102, fluid escapes from the bag50 through the pressure relief passageway 92 and into the keg 22surrounding the bag 50.

The recessed disk shaped seat 92 has a rounded shoulder flange 110surrounding the opening 94 of the pressure relief passageway 90 and themembrane 102 is stretched to curve over the rounded shoulder flange 110.

It should be understood that, while the keg 22 has been described in theillustrated embodiment for use with a beer appliance unit 10, theinvention may be used in kegs and other beverage containers which mayfind use in applications other than in appliance units.

1. A valve assembly adapted for filling a bag with a beverage underpressure where the bag is contained in a container and secured with thevalve assembly, the valve assembly comprising: a valve body adapted tobe secured with the container, the valve body having a first passagewayextending through the valve body; a first valve seated in the firstpassageway for controlling the flow of beverage through the firstpassageway into and out of the bag; a pressure relief passagewayextending through the valve body from inside the bag to within thecontainer; and a bursting disk seated with the valve body normallyclosing the pressure relief passageway and adapted to rupture permittingfluid to escape from the bag through the pressure relief passageway andinto the container surrounding the bag when the pressure in the bagexceeds a predetermined pressure value.
 2. The valve assembly of claim 1wherein the valve body has a recessed disk shaped seat surrounding anopening of the pressure relief passageway and the bursting disk isseated in the recessed disk shaped seat.
 3. The valve assembly of claim1 wherein the predetermined pressure value is about 7 bar.
 4. The valveassembly of claim 2 wherein the bursting disk comprises a ring of doublesided self adhesive material affixed on a first side to the recesseddisk shaped seat, and at least one membrane affixed to a second side ofthe ring so as to extend across the opening of the pressure reliefpassageway, and the membrane bursting when the pressure in the bagexceeds the predetermined pressure value.
 5. The valve assembly of claim4 wherein the recessed disk shaped seat has a rounded shoulder flangesurrounding the opening of the pressure relief passageway wherein themembrane curves over the rounded shoulder flange.
 6. The valve assemblyof claim 5 wherein the membrane comprises a layer of polyvinylchlorideplastic coated with aluminum foil.
 7. The valve assembly of claim 2wherein the valve body has a second passageway extending therethroughand a second valve seated in the second passageway for controlling theflow of a pressurizing gas through the second passageway into thecontainer and exterior of the bag.
 8. An alcohol beverage dispensingapparatus comprising: a keg having an aperture; a bag contained in thekeg for containing an alcohol beverage; and, a valve assembly to whichthe bag is secured and comprising: a valve body secured in the apertureof the keg, the valve body having at least first and second spaced apartpassageways extending through the valve body; a first valve seated inthe first passageway for controlling the flow of beverage through thefirst passageway into and out of the bag; a second valve seated in thesecond passageway for controlling the flow of a pressurizing gas throughthe second passageway into the container and exterior of the bag; apressure relief passageway extending through the valve body from insidethe bag to within the container; and a bursting disk seated with thevalve body normally closing the pressure relief passageway and adaptedto rupture permitting fluid to escape from the bag through the pressurerelief passageway and into the container surrounding the bag when thepressure in the bag exceeds a predetermined pressure value.
 9. Theapparatus of claim 8 wherein the valve body has a recessed disk shapedseat surrounding an opening of the pressure relief passageway and thebursting disk is seated in the recessed disk shaped seat.
 10. Theapparatus of claim 8 wherein the predetermined pressure value is about 7bar.
 11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the bursting disk comprises aring of double sided self adhesive material affixed on a first side tothe recessed disk shaped seat, and at least one membrane affixed to asecond side of the ring so as to extend across the opening of thepressure relief passageway, and the membrane bursting when the pressurein the bag exceeds the predetermined pressure value.
 12. The apparatusof claim 11 wherein the recessed disk shaped seat has a rounded shoulderflange surrounding the opening of the pressure relief passageway whereinthe membrane curves over the rounded shoulder flange.
 13. The apparatusof claim 12 wherein the membrane comprises a layer of polyvinylchlorideplastic coated with aluminum foil.